Just in Jeff Bezos news, he and fiancée Lauren Sanchez are reportedly marrying in Venice later this month. Their plans nuptials are creating a divide of cheers and demonstrations all over the city. The pair hopes to marry on June 28, and reports suggest they’re considering a $10 million wedding. Much remains open to interpretation and speculation about the venue selections. The island of San Giorgio Maggiore and the historic 14th-century Misericordia, formerly a school armory, are two leading contenders under discussion.
The soon-to-be wedding has been something of a media circus. In response, a coalition of protesters have vowed to shut down parts of Venice to traffic during the celebration. This resistance is one example of an international movement against overtourism, which has recently begun to bother residents much more than it used to. Venetians are tired of living with the swells of tourists and celebrities that mar Venice’s uniqueness. They underscore how even with actions such as taking a 10-euro entrance fee from daytrippers in peak hours, it is still difficult.
Though many Venetians have come out to protest the wedding, others have supported the couple’s plans. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro released a statement welcoming the ceremony and urging Bezos and Sanchez to go ahead with their ceremony in the face of the protests. Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region, denounced the protests as a shameful act. He stressed the economic development opportunities these events have brought to the city.
Venice has recently hosted three other multi-million-dollar weddings without as much as a naysayer in sight. Which makes it all the more perplexing why Bezos’s wedding has generated such a storm of outrage. Some residents think that the negative attention directed at Bezos’s extraordinary fortune incites the protests. They cite his $500 million superyacht, Koru, as a touchstone that magnifies their aggravations.
Gillian Longworth McGuire in the American Travel Writer called attention to the identity crisis that was threatening Venice.
“Venice just doesn’t have a clear idea of what it is supposed to be sometimes,” – Gillian Longworth McGuire
She went on to challenge the notion that Venice can only be experienced as an ethereal dream or as the backdrop for lavish functions.
“Is it a magical place carved out of a lagoon, built by merchants and fishermen, or a bachelorette party and mega wedding venue?” – Gillian Longworth McGuire
Görge Meyer stated:
“It seems ridiculous that a city that lives off tourism like Venice wouldn’t want an event like this, which will employ hundreds of people from waiters to water taxi drivers,” – Görge Meyer
Like Marco, though, Federica Toninello, another local resident, is doubtful whether the couple’s expected access to major locations will make a difference.
“Bezos will never get to the Misericordia,” – Federica Toninello
Yet as the final wedding date approaches, a cloud of confusion hangs over the couple’s heads. What remains to be seen is the effect of these protests. Residents aren’t as clearly polarized. While many are rallying behind the couple, residents have said the planned event simply doesn’t fit with the city’s unique character and essence.
Jake Springer, another commentator on the situation, pointed out the irony surrounding the protests:
“You’re telling me none of these people shop on Amazon?” – Jake Springer
He also commended the peaceful nature of the protests.
“At least they are protesting peacefully. Americans could learn a thing or two from this.” – Jake Springer
